Welcome to the 'Neighbourhood Plan' Page

The Crich Parish Neighbourhood Plan forms part of the Development Plan for Amber Valley. The Crich Parish Neighbourhood Plan must be given full weight in the determination of planning applications and in decisions on planning appeals. The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that where a planning application conflicts with a neighbourhood plan that has been brought into force, planning permission should not normally be granted.

The Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed on the Amber Valley Borough Council website or on application to the Clerk of the Parish Council.

Crich Parish was designated a Neighbourhood Area on 12 February 2015. For more than three years a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group comprising Parish Councillors and other volunteers from the local community prepared a Neighbourhood Plan for the area.

The Neighbourhood Plan preparation process was firmly based on thorough and extensive consultation of local people and businesses. This included a household questionnaire and leaflets distributed to every address in the Parish; public meetings; exhibitions; stalls in the Market Place and at the Crich Fete; and focussed consultation with local groups and organisations including the local schools. Many people kindly participated, not least joining the working groups that explored and developed policies relating to key topics. An intensive six-week long period of consultation was held ending on 1 May 2017. All comments and submissions were carefully considered and adjustments made to the draft plan accordingly.

An adjustment was made to the Neighbourhood Plan to reflect the Borough Council proposals for development adjacent to Woodside, The Common, Crich. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group undertook a further specific consultation in this respect leafletting all households in the Parish and holding an exhibition and meeting.

Following submission of the draft Neighbourhood Plan to Amber Valley Borough Council, that Council organised a further six-week period for representations that closed on 3 November 2017, and then sent the Plan to an Independent Examiner who confirmed, subject to minor modifications, that the Plan met all the requirements set out in legislation. Amber Valley Council agreed the Independent Examiner's recommendation that the plan should go to a local referendum which was held on 6 September 2018.

The result of the Referendum, in relation to the following question:

'Do you want Amber Valley Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Crich to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?'

was as follows:

• Number of votes cast in favour of a 'Yes' 1,094 (97%)

• Number of votes cast in favour of a 'No' 29 (3%)

• Number of ballot papers rejected 1

As more than half of those voting were in favour, the Neighbourhood Plan was, from the 19 September 2018, made part of the Development Plan for the area.

The Parish Council expresess its gratitude to the Members of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and everyone else who assisted in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan.